Doran leads by 1 at Maine Amateur Golf Championship

FALMOUTH FORESIDE — Mike Doran of Portland posted a 2-under-par 68 Tuesday at Portland Country Club to take a one-stroke lead in the 93rd Maine Amateur Golf Championship.

Doran is the junior coordinator for the Maine State Golf Association, which is conducting the event.

He birdied the 18th hole to forge ahead of defending champion Ryan Gay of Pittston and Jason Gall of Augusta.

Doran, who began midway through the field of 131 starters, parred every hole on the front nine except for No. 6, which he bogeyed. He birdied 10 and 12 and parred the rest until his final birdie gave him a 32 on the back and 68 for the day.

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Gay, who played in the first group of the day, birdied the third hole, but bogeyed Nos. 6 and 7 before a birdie on 8 put him back at even par. Gay added birdies on 10, 15 and 16 to get to 3 under, but he bogeyed the final two holes for his 69.

Gall, who tied for second behind Gay last year at Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor, bogeyed the first four holes before settling down. He parred the next three before getting back to even par with four straight birdies on Nos. 8-11. A final birdie on 16 tied him with Gay.

JJ Harris of Bath and Kent St. Charles of Wells are tied for fourth at even-par 70, and Brian Bilodeau of Auburn and Seth Sweet of Madison are sixth at 71, and 2008 Paul Bunyan Amateur champ Joe Alvarez of Hampden and ’98 Maine Am victor Eric Crouse of Portland are at 72.